INDIANAPOLIS – All honey.

That’s how Jerry Jones described his vision for the flow with George Pickens, now that the Dallas Cowboys have ensured that the All-Pro wide receiver won’t hit the market on March 11 as a free agent. On Friday, the Cowboys officially placed a franchise player tag on Pickens that comes with a $27.298 million payday for 2026 yet also marks the intent for the team to strike a deal for a long-term contract.

In many circles, Pickens, 24, ranked as the NFL’s top projected free agent. What a rise for a once-disgruntled player obtained in a May trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Very clearly, the Cowboys want George Pickens to be a part of our future,” the Cowboys owner said, speaking to a small group of media that included USA TODAY Sports, aboard his luxury bus on Friday night after watching a workout session at the NFL scouting combine. “That says that so clearly. And it has a lot of muscle behind it when it says it.”

Sounds inviting enough. Yet these are the Dallas Cowboys we’re talking about.

History suggests that when it comes to negotiating a fat contract for a star player, there’s bound to be some Texas-sized drama. In recent years, that involved long, drawn-out contract talks with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, DeMarcus Lawrence and of course, last year, a major saga with Micah Parsons that seemed to turn way-too-personal and didn’t end until the All-Pro edge rusher was traded to the Green Bay Packers a week before the start of the regular season.

What’s to say this will play out without becoming a big distraction that hovers above the Cowboys as they ramp up for next season? Jones tap-danced when asked whether he received assurance from Pickens during a Thursday phone conversation that the receiver would fully participate in the team’s offseason program.

“What I did get is how much it meant to George that he’s working with Dak,” Jones said.

More solid, though, was Jones’ contention about his approach to working with Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta. Early in his hour-long media session – dubbed as a “state of the Cowboys address” – Jones made an undeniable statement that added a substantial layer to the tone set during the phone call with Pickens.

“Regarding his representation, I can clearly work with his agent,” Jones said. “I have no issues.”

After his dismissive remarks about Mulugheta last spring, Jones knew this component of the negotiations would come up during his media session. Rather than wait for a question about it, though, Jones was proactive. He brought it up himself.

Well, that was last year. Jones undoubtedly had a key talking point about Mulugheta (incidentally, a Dallas native who grew up rooting for the Cowboys) that he wanted to express on Friday.

“We haven’t met,” Jones said of Mulugheta, “but to the end that we can have discussions about (Pickens) and other players that he represents, we understand the angst that’s there, how he’s representing, and his goals of maximizing the dollars. And he clearly has accomplished enough to know the alternative to that is our job of managing the club and the salary cap and getting as much mileage out of the cap as we can.”

The NFL’s salary cap, by the way, will top $300 million for the first time in 2026, with the record $301.2 million figure representing an increase of $22 million from last year’s amount. It stands to reason that a long-term deal for Pickens would average at least $30 million per year. Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase has the highest average among receivers at $40.25 million, while Lamb ranks third at $34 million.

For a team that again needs to create cap room – according to Spotrac.com, the Cowboys are currently an NFL-worst $58.454 million over the cap – it would behoove the team to reach an agreement with Pickens sooner rather than later.

The same can be said for star kicker Brandon Aubrey, whom Jones confirmed has been offered a contract that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid kicker. Currently, Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs is the highest-paid kicker, averaging $6.4 million.

“We feel good that what we’re talking about is appreciative of what he can do for us,” Jones said of Aubrey, the only player in NFL history with six field goals of at least 60 yards on his resume. “I’m not trying to negotiate with anything I say here, but we’ve got a good offer on the table for him.”

Still, more drama is always just around the corner for the Cowboys. While Aubrey’s case is interesting enough, the Pickens matter seemingly provides more potential to generate headlines.

Pickens ranked third in the NFL with 1,429 receiving yards on 93 catches. In earning second-team All-Pro honors, he also largely discarded the reputation as a malcontent that was connected to Pittsburgh’s willingness to trade him away.

Jones undoubtedly took a step to reduce drama by calling Pickens on Thursday, a day before the team owner flew here for the combine, to explain the team’s rationale for using a franchise tag – the restrictive move despised by many star players across the league over the years.

“I was rewarded that he expressed himself in the way that he did about how comfortable he was here, how much he liked working with Dak and his teammates and how he was looking forward to his future with the Cowboys,” Jones said of his talk with Pickens.

As for the drama, Jones tried his best to distance himself from the perception that the Cowboys drag these matters out more than most. Two years ago, Lamb’s 4-year, $136 million extension wasn’t done until after he missed all of training camp. And while Prescott became the NFL’s highest-paid player on a 4-year, $260 million contract that averages $60 million, the matter was a constant topic of discussion all offseason and during camp.

“I don’t know what comes first: The substance, the significance of the player’s situation, or the drama of a negotiation,” Jones said. ‘Usually, those happen when you have a more substantive player that is…a difference-maker. I really don’t know how to do it and not have the drama.”

In other words, stay tuned. Even if Jones promises smooth sailing this time around.

“I want our George Pickens relationship to be all honey,” Jones said.

Yeah, honey and money.

– Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

The family of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau said it was ‘overwhelmed’ that the USA men’s hockey team celebrated those players after winning the gold medal.

Players carried Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey on the ice and brought out his children, Noa and Johnny, for a team photo. Gaudreau, a seven-time NHL All-Star, frequently suited up for the USA in international tournaments before he and his brother died on Aug. 29, 2024, when hit by a driver while they were bicycling in New Jersey.

The Gaudreau family members said in a statement on Saturday, Feb. 28, that they initially turned down an invitation to go to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan because it would have been hard on them.

‘But we kept thinking about what John and Matty would say if they knew we turned it down. We knew the answer,’ the family said.
’John loved representing his country. From the time he was little, he dreamed of competing at the Olympics. In that final summer, he was working harder than ever, pushing himself with everything he had to earn a spot on that roster. He was going to be there.’

The family members – parents Guy and Jane, plus Johnny’s widow Meredith, went to Milan – said they were comforted by the fact that so many people cared about the brothers.

‘Every person we encountered took the time to ask about the boys — who they were, what they meant to us, the kind of people they were away from the ice,’ the family said.
’What struck us most was realizing that John and Matty’s impact reaches so much further than we sometimes see in our own grief.

They are carried by so many people — in locker rooms, in conversations, in quiet moments we will never even know about. That means everything to us.’

Team USA, which displayed Gaudreau’s jersey in the locker room for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the world championships, did the same at the Olympics. The Americans beat Canada 2-1 in overtime for the country’s first men’s hockey team Olympic gold medal since 1980.

‘When Zach (Werenski), Auston (Matthews) and Matthew (Tkachuk) carried John’s jersey around that ice, we were overwhelmed — they made sure he was there,’ the family said. ‘And then to see Noa and Johnny — on Johnny’s second birthday — carried out onto the ice to be part of that gold medal photo — there are no words for what that felt like.

‘John and Matty should have been there, and in that moment, they were.

Thank you to every member of that team for loving John & Matty – and for making sure they were part of something historic. And thank you to everyone at @NBCOlympics and @usahockey for your kindness, your generosity, and for bringing our family to Milan to witness it.

You gave us a gift we didn’t know we needed.’

INDIANAPOLIS – The best running back – and maybe the best player, period – in the 2026 NFL Draft is almost universally regarded to be Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love.

But the second-best RB option for teams not in lofty enough position to select Love might just be his former Fighting Irish backup and roommate, Jadarian Price. And though Price doesn’t question his decision to leave South Bend despite having remaining eligibility, it didn’t quite feel like he’d departed after he and Love wound up being roomies again at this year’s NFL scouting combine.

“Just feels like an away game for us,” Price cracked Feb. 27 while meeting with reporters.

But he also had a message to potential future employers considering him as a major component of NFL away (and home) games in 2026.

“I’m a four-down back, I’m here to do it all,” said Price. “I’m continuing to get better and fix the technique of things. But I can catch, I can pass protect – I’m willing to do it all.”

And that includes being a special teams contributor, a major aspect of Price’s résumé and one that may be boosting his draft stock given the impact the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rule has had on the league in recent years.

“I think when you go to the next level, NFL, the more value you have to stay on the field with other things besides running back, that just makes you more valuable and appreciated as a player,” said Price. “So I think it does help me.”

And his skill as a returner has been a frequent topic during his combine meetings with teams like the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Almost every coach and interview I had the past couple days, they mentioned the special teams ability,” said Price, who only handled 22 kickoffs over the past three seasons for the Irish – yet took three of them to the house.

“I told them all the same, I love special teams – and I attack it like I attack offense. I’m willing to do anything when it comes to special teams.”

Price, who led the country by averaging 37.5 yards on kickoff returns last season, when he scored twice, admits the dynamic kickoff seems “pretty weird” to him right now but he understands its growing importance at the pro level.

“Couple guys took it to the crib, and that gets you excited like, ‘Hey, there is a way to get past that line,’” he said.

“It just takes practice and different experience with it.”

Speaking of practice and experience, Price has also been working hard to address his perceived flaws – specifically a penchant to fumble plus a lack of polish as a receiver.

“I do a lot of hard work in practice, things behind the scenes that you don’t see,” said Price, while admitting Love had a “better knack” for receiving.

Price had just 15 receptions over the past three seasons but was confident he’d show at the combine that it’s an overblown criticism. And he looked especially smooth in the Feb. 28 drills while flashing sub-4.5 speed over 40 yards.

Yet the fumbling issue, including two he lost near the goal line last season, could be the bigger concern.

“In every interview you’re gonna go into, they’re gonna talk about the good stuff, and they’re obviously gonna bring up the bad stuff that you need to work on,” said Price while specifically addressing the turnoves.

“Because, at the end of the day, the ball is the program, so that’s what they want to lead with.”

But let’s not bury the lede, either.

Despite sitting second on the Notre Dame depth chart behind Love, who had 417 touches and 3,014 yards from scrimmage over the past two seasons, Price had more than 750 rushing and receiving yards himself in both 2024 and ’25. His 1,211 all-purpose yards in 2025, which factor in his kickoff returns, left him just 441 shy of Love, who was an All-America and Heisman Trophy finalist.

‘He’s like Love-lite almost,’ former New York Giants vice president of player personnel Marc Ross, now an NFL Network analyst, said of Price. ‘The vision is there, the quick cuts are there, he has explosiveness to the edges.’

Said ESPN’s Louis Riddick, a former NFL safety: ‘This dude is a slasher. And he is tough as heck at the contact point, you rarely get this dude down with your first tackle attempt − great pad level, great acceleration on to the second level.’

If both taken in the first round, Price and Love would become the first Round 1 running back duo from the same school since Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in 2008. Three years prior to that, Ronnie Brown and Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams of Auburn were both top-five selections.

Price, who’s 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds, feels like his experience in Notre Dame’s offense will translate well to NFL schemes, and pro scouts have already praised his north-and-south running style.

A lower usage rate in college – Price had 295 touches from scrimmage at Notre Dame, 201 fewer than Love – is another of his selling points.

“Half of them ask about that. The other half ask, you know, ‘Why didn’t you go somewhere else and want to be a featured back?’ And I just tell them, you know, Notre Dame was the place for me. And they ultimately, at the end … do respect that,” said Price.

“I would love to get the ball 25 times a game. Whatever opportunities I’m given, I’m gonna make the most of those opportunities. Even if I don’t get to touch the ball 25 times a game and only 10 – and I end up averaging 10 yards a carry – that’s awesome, too.”

Price, 22, credits Love for making him better and teaching him to play freely while putting less pressure on himself.

“JD has the opportunity and the potential to be one of the best running backs in the league,” Love said.

“(T)he sky’s the limit for JD. He’s gonna do great things in the league, and he’s gonna play for a long time.”

Despite the opportunity to play for a longer time in South Bend and take over Love’s role in 2026 – plus what he deemed compelling financial incentives to do so – Price felt there was little doubt he needed to go pro and embrace an opportunity to create “generational wealth” for himself and his family in the future.

“During the process, you don’t really realize, like, how special, you know, the situation is and impact you’re having on everyone else. But I realized that when we left Notre Dame, the amount of people who reached out to me (saying), ‘Hey, I wish you could stay. I’m so happy, like, that y’all chose to go to Notre Dame and the things that y’all did the past couple seasons.’ It really made me proud of what I did at Notre Dame,” said Price.

‘But it was time for me to go to the league. And the things that me and Jeremiyah have done have been great, but we’re gonna be great NFL backs.”

On Sunday, after a long and arduous wait, the calendar will turn to March.

With it will come a tense two weeks for dozens of men’s college basketball teams across the country, whose results over the final stretch of the regular season will determine whether their NCAA Tournament dreams will live or die.

Such is life on the dreaded bubble for the 68-team event.

Six months ago, it’s an anxiety-laced position few would have envisioned Auburn finding itself in. Coming off the program’s second Final Four appearance in a six-year stretch, the Tigers returned a handful of key contributors, namely guard Tahaad Pettiford, from a squad that went 32-6 while bringing in some impactful new players like Keyshawn Hall.

It’s been especially bleak lately, with six losses in their past seven games. Not all of those setbacks came against the SEC’s heaviest hitters, either. In the past 10 days, Auburn has fallen to a sub-.500 Mississippi State team and an Oklahoma squad that seems destined to make a coaching change once the season ends.

While that slew of losses has placed the Tigers in an uncomfortable position, they’ve got several important metrics working in their favor. As of Thursday, Auburn was No. 35 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, No. 37 on KenPom and No. 25 in BPI. On KenPom, it has the No. 1 strength of schedule this season, an unforgiving run of games that featured some notable wins against No. 7 Florida, No. 15 St. John’s and No. 17 Arkansas. Though it comes against 11 losses, it has five Quad 1 victories.

Conversely, the Tigers have a pair of Quad 2 losses and are 42nd nationally in Wins Above Bubble, a metric the NCAA Tournament selection committee said it will weigh heavily among bubble teams. There are some landmines lurking among their final three regular-season games, too, with matchups looming at home against Ole Miss and LSU, which are a combined 26-30.

Regardless of whether it makes the cut for March Madness, Auburn has experienced first-hand just how hard it is to move on from a legendary coach.

Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers among bubble teams from the past week of games:

NCAA Tournament Bubble winners

Statistics cited are as of Thursday, Feb. 26

UCLA

The preseason No. 12 team has had a largely disappointing season, but over the past month, the Bruins have started to elevate their play, with a 7-3 mark in their past 10 games. That spurt has been highlighted by a huge pair of home wins — against No. 8 Purdue and No. 11 Illinois. The victory over the Illini last Saturday was followed up by a 19-point drubbing of rival and fellow bubble-dweller USC, a game in which New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent had 30 points. 

Just don’t get too excited about the recent success, lest UCLA’s coach think you’re raising your voice a bit too much.

Missouri

A Tigers team that had just two Quad 1 wins entering February racked up three in a 13-day stretch, edging Texas A&M on the road on Feb. 11, hanging on to beat No. 21 Vanderbilt at home on Feb. 18 and knocking off No. 22 Tennessee at home on Feb. 24. Missouri is now 5-5 in Quad 1 games, though a 4-4 record in Quad 2 matchups could prove to be detrimental to its tournament hopes.

A trip to March Madness this year would mark the first time in 13 years that the Tigers have made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.

TCU

The Horned Frogs looked destined for an NIT berth as recently as three weeks ago, with a 13-9 mark that most recently included a 26-point beatdown at the hands of Colorado. Since then, though, coach Jamie Dixon’s squad has won five of its past six games. While four of those victories have come against teams in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings, a Feb. 10 win against No. 5 Iowa State serves as the centerpiece of an increasingly impressive resume.

TCU could ultimately be stung by some unsightly losses earlier in the season, including a Quad 4 loss at home against New Orleans and a Jan. 17 loss against a Utah team that’s 2-13 in Big 12 play.

Cal

The Calgorithm got a beneficial data point last Wednesday with a 73-69 win against SMU, giving the Golden Bears yet another win against a likely tournament-bound team (they’ve also defeated North Carolina, Miami and UCLA).

Cal’s 20-8 record is inflated a bit by a soft non-conference schedule that KenPom ranks 325th among 365 Division I teams. It will have a chance to stack up some wins to wrap up the regular season, with games against reeling Pitt, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest teams.

San Diego State

An Aztecs resume that had very much been lacking a marquee win finally got one, with San Diego State thumping Utah State by 17 last Wednesday to hand what had been a 23-4 Aggies team its most lopsided loss of the season.

While the predictive metrics like the Aztecs — they’re No. 42 in the NET and No. 43 on KenPom, as of Thursday — they’re negative-0.06 wins above bubble, ranking them only 53rd in the country.

NCAA Tournament Bubble losers

USC

After an 18-6 start, the wheels have started to come off for the Trojans, who have lost four games in a row. One of those losses came at home against an Oregon team that’s No. 107 in the NET and another came by 36 at home against No. 11 Illinois.

On Saturday, coach Eric Musselman’s team will get a major opportunity in the form of a home game against No. 10 Nebraska. With a win, USC could improve its lowly 2-7 mark against Quad 1 opponents.

Indiana

Since a double-overtime road win against UCLA that improved their record to 15-7, the Hoosiers have lost four of their past six games, including three in a row. While losses, even lopsided ones, to Illinois and Purdue can be forgiven, a home setback last Tuesday against a 12-16 Northwestern team could loom large come Selection Sunday.

Indiana is only 8-9 in Big Ten play, though coach Darian DeVries’ team is still holding on at No. 38 in the NET — even if that includes a 2-10 mark in Quad 1 games.

West Virginia

DeVries’ current team is sitting in a slightly better spot than his former one. The Mountaineers have dropped three in a row, including losses to Utah and Oklahoma State teams that are a combined 7-23 in Big 12 play.

West Virginia’s down to No. 64 on KenPom, No. 66 in the NET and its negative-2.07 Wins Above Bubble are 69th in Division I. Even wins against BYU and UCF to cap off the regular season may not be enough at this point for a team that likely needs a run in the Big 12 tournament to get on the right side of the bubble.

Santa Clara

The margin for error for teams outside the sport’s power conferences, even in a league as strong as the West Coast Conference this season, is sadly small for teams hoping to get an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The Broncos find themselves in that precarious position, with a No. 38 ranking on KenPom and a No. 41 ranking in the NET, but with two losses in their past three games, albeit against WCC powerhouses Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. Those losses, while understandable, deprived Santa Clara of a chance to improve its 1-5 record in Quad 1 games.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes have only one non-Quad 1 loss this season — a 67-66 setback on a buzzer-beater at Pitt on Nov. 28 — but they’ve failed to do much of anything in their biggest games of the season. Ohio State is just 1-10 in Quad 1 games and is 4-6 since a 13-5 start.

It can reverse that discouraging trend, if even just temporarily, on Sunday, when it hosts No. 8 Purdue. A win against the Boilermakers could get the Buckeyes back on the right side of the bubble.

In just two weekends, a pristine March Madness bracket will be announced.

It will include 68 teams, all vying for the goal of being the final team in Indianapolis at the Final Four, with confetti coming down on their heads as ‘One Shining Moment’ is played, spread out throughout the country. It will also start the clock on bracket challenges, including USA TODAY Sports’ Bracket Sweepstakes.

But before that bracket can be released on Selection Sunday, there are also a handful of questions that remain to be answered, specifically on the bubble, which has more teams on it heading into the first week of March than in past years.

What appears to be answered for the bracket — or at least close to it — is who will be on the 1-seed line. Duke, led by Cameron Boozer, jumped ahead of Arizona and Michigan for the No. 1 overall seed with a win over the Wolverines in the nation’s capital last weekend. The only remaining question for the 1-seed is who will be the No. 4 overall seed, which could include the UConn, Illinois, Iowa State, Houston and Purdue.

Here’s a look at the latest NCAA tournament bracket projection, which takes into account games played through Friday, Feb. 27:

March Madness bracket prediction

Last Four In

• Santa Clara **
• New Mexico **
• Auburn **
• TCU **

First Four Out

• Missouri
• San Diego State
• VCU
• California

No. 1 Seeds

• Duke (AQ — ACC)
• Arizona (AQ — Big 12)
• Michigan (AQ — Big Ten)
• UConn (AQ — Big East)

There’s a lot of debate on who should have the final No. 1 seed, and rightfully so. UConn stays on the 1-seed line thanks to a win against St. John’s in Hartford on Feb. 25. The Huskies are also 8-2 against Quad 1 opponents this season, which includes a pretty flashy win at Allen Fieldhouse back in December. Arizona has a big one against No. 14 Kansas on Feb. 28.

No. 2 Seeds

• Iowa State
• Illinois
• Purdue
• Houston

Houston is sliding down from contention for a No. 1 seed following its third consecutive loss of the season on Feb. 23 at Kansas. The Cougars still have a combined 13-5 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games that should benefit them nicely when the committee convenes in Indiana for Selection Sunday.

No. 3 Seeds

• Florida (AQ — SEC)
• Gonzaga (AQ — West Coast Conference)
• Kansas
• Michigan State

Florida has been coming into form in recent weeks, as the Gators have won eight straight heading into Feb. 28’s top-25 game against Arkansas. Kansas bounced back from an unranked loss to Cincinnati with a 13-point win over Houston. The Jayhawks have a shot at their ninth Quad 1 win of the season on Feb. 28 at Arizona, where they will look to go for the regular-season series sweep.

Buying high on Michigan State’s top-10 win over Purdue on Feb. 26 by bumping them up to the 3-seed line. The Spartans have won three straight heading into March, and now have a 7-5 Quad 1 record and a combined 14-5 in the top two quadrants.

No. 4 Seeds

• Texas Tech
• Virginia
• Nebraska
• Alabama

What a job Ryan Odom has done in his first season in Charlottesville to get Virginia back in the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers have won nine straight games and are a game back of Duke for first place in the ACC.

No. 5 Seeds

• Tennessee
• North Carolina
• St. John’s
• Vanderbilt

A road loss Feb. 24 against Missouri snapped a four-game winning streak (and a stretch of eight wins in nine games) for Tennessee. Alabama gives the SEC some insurance with seven consecutive wins. North Carolina picked up its sixth Quad 1 win of the season on Feb. 23 with a three-point win over Louisville.

No. 6 Seeds

• Arkansas
• Louisville
• Brigham Young
• Villanova

Villanova has a big game on Feb. 28 at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s, where it looks for the regular-season series split and another Quad 1 win. BYU has dropped six of its last nine, though one of those three wins comes against ranked Iowa State.

No. 7 Seeds

• Wisconsin
• Saint Louis (AQ — Atlantic 10)
• Utah State (AQ — Mountain West)
• North Carolina State

Wisconsin is between a 6-seed and a 7-seed. The Badgers stay on the 7-seed line here after a Quad 2 Away win over Oregon on Feb. 25, and have a Quad 1 opportunity on deck on Feb. 28. Saint Louis and Utah State are here as automatic qualifiers of the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West, but feel safe to make the field if they don’t win their respective conference tournaments.

No. 8 Seeds

• Kentucky
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Miami

Kentucky’s last season slide went on pause on Feb. 24 with a win on the road at South Carolina. The Wildcats have still lost five of their last eight, with two ranked games remaining against Vanderbilt and Florida before the SEC tournament. Could Kentucky be on the chopping block before heading to Nashville?

No. 9 Seeds

• Texas A&M
• Saint Mary’s
• Central Florida
• UCLA

UCF moves up to the 9-seed line after beating BYU on the road by double digits. Texas A&M is on the verge of making the NCAA Tournament in their first seasons under Bucky McMillan. UCLA has won back-to-back games after another viral news conference from Mick Cronin, highlighted by a top-10 win over Illinois last weekend.

No. 10 Seeds

• Southern Methodist
• Clemson
• Texas
• Missouri

SMU falls to the 10-seed line after dropping one on the road at Cal. Missouri moves up to the 10-seed line following a top-25 win at home against Tennessee earlier in the week, and as a result of Indiana’s loss to Northwestern.

No. 11 Seeds

• Miami (Ohio) (AQ — Mid-American)
• Ohio State
• Indiana **
• Santa Clara **
• Auburn **
• TCU **

A double-digit road loss at Oklahoma has Auburn in ‘must-win’ territory here on out to save its NCAA tournament chances. The Tigers’ wins over then-No. 15 Arkansas and No. 16 Florida are keeping them in the field despite losing six of their last seven.

Miami (Ohio) is two wins away from having a perfect regular season at 31-0. Ohio State has three big opportunities to pick up wins before the end of the regular season — vs. Iowa, vs. Penn State and vs. Indiana — to create some breathing room on the bubble heading into the Big Ten tournament.

Indiana finds itself down to the 11-seed line after its third consecutive loss of the season, to Northwestern (which is tied for third-to-last in the Big Ten). The Hoosiers have lost four of their last six. Santa Clara has an impressive record, but will likely need one (or two) wins against Saint Mary’s before Selection Sunday. TCU keeps itself in the field after back-to-back wins over West Virginia and Arizona State, respectively.

No. 12 Seeds

• South Florida (AQ — American)
• Belmont (AQ — Missouri Valley)
• Yale (AQ — Ivy League)
• Stephen F. Austin (AQ — Southland)

No. 13 Seeds

• High Point (AQ — Big South)
• UC Irvine (AQ — Big West)
• UNC Wilmington (AQ — Colonial Athletic Association)
• Liberty (AQ — Conference USA)

No. 14 Seeds

• East Tennessee State (AQ — Southern)
• North Dakota State (AQ — Summit League)
• Austin Peay (AQ — Atlantic Sun)
• Utah Valley (AQ — Western Athletic)

No. 15 Seeds

• Portland State (AQ — Big Sky)
• Navy (AQ — Patriot League)
• Merrimack (AQ — Metro Atlantic Athletic)
• Wright State (AQ — Horizon)

No. 16 Seeds

• Marshall (AQ — Sun Belt)
• LIU (AQ — Northeast)
• Bethune-Cookman (AQ — Southwestern Atlantic) **
• Morehead State (AQ — Ohio Valley) **
• Howard (AQ — Mid-Eastern Athletic) **
• UMBC (AQ — America East) **

** Denotes playing in First Four game

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INDIANAPOLIS – Just before 8 a.m. in Hall J of the Indianapolis Convention Center on Friday, The Promised One stepped to the podium.

This is what a franchise quarterback is supposed to look like, supposed to sound like. Sure, as Mendoza, 22, alluded to during his 13-minute media session, there is no cookie-cutter when it comes to what constitutes an NFL star.

Lamar Jackson looks and sounds nothing like Josh Allen, who looks and sounds nothing like the great Patrick Mahomes. Big-time ballers come in all shapes, shades and sizes.

Still, if you’re that team that for so many years has wallowed in mediocrity – hey, Silver and Black – and been unable to get out of its own way as it cycled through one coach after another, one quarterback after another, in matching Mendoza with the No. 1 pick overall in the upcoming NFL draft you are revived by the idea that miracles can indeed happen.

Somewhere, Al Davis is crowing.

Not only does Mendoza look the part, he’s fresh off leading Indiana – yes, Indiana! – to the national crown. He won the Heisman Trophy. And he’s tough. For all of his big stats and highlight throws, winning the natty came down to Mendoza barreling into the end zone like somebody’s Bronko Nagurski. The kid will sell tickets, but most of all he can play.

Celebrate Indiana’s CFP championship with our commemorative book!

And hey, some of us think he has jokes, too.

“The pick has not been selected yet,” Mendoza said of what lies ahead when the Raiders turn in the draft card on April 23. “Whatever team drafts me, I’m extremely grateful.

“Like I said, if I was the No. 1 pick or whether it’s the last pick in the draft, I’d be blessed and honored to be picked by any team, giving them my all.”

The last pick in the draft? Is he kidding?

Then again, that Mendoza seemingly will take nothing for granted, is one reason Raiders rookie coach Klint Kubiak can count his blessings. In explaining his obsession with minute details, Mendoza pointed out how he was the nation’s 134th-ranked quarterback coming out of high school.

And look at him now. He’s a poster child for details.

“That was a true ranking,” Mendoza reflected. “I was a raw prospect. I was terrible. And it’s about the small wins every day.”

Next up for Fernando Mendoza, Tom Brady pairing: meet in person

And now the big wins. The combine represents Mendoza’s opening act on an NFL stage, with the medical exams, meat-market measurements, interviews and the like. As you’d expect, QB11 drew the biggest crowd, of any probably all week, at his podium.

The first impression was textbook. Someone asked if he updated his LinkedIn profile.

“Well, right now, I’m unemployed,” Mendoza said. “I have no job. So, this is my job interview right now and like everyone says, it’s the most important job interview of your life. So, right now, I’m just trying to do everything to hopefully get employed.”

Yeah, the kid can spin it in more ways than one. Tom Brady is going to love pouring into Mendoza. And vice-versa.

Brady, the Raiders minority owner who entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick, isn’t on site as Mendoza goes through the combine paces. Even though Brady attended the national championship game with Raiders owner Mark Davis, he’s yet to meet Mendoza in person. But it’s coming.

When Mendoza met with key Raiders powerbrokers at the combine, the session began with a quick telephone hook-up with Brady.

“I was able to say a brief hi on the phone to Brady,” Mendoza said, “and so that was very special to me and I look forward to meeting him in person, hopefully, one day.”

Hopefully, he admits, it goes much deeper than that. Given Brady’s investment in the Raiders – with competitive football juices layered on top of his financial stake – Mendoza is seemingly on the verge of gaining the best resource any young quarterback could dream of.

No, it doesn’t seem fair. Brady won seven Super Bowl rings, gets a piece of the Raiders, doubles with his high-profile role as a Fox Sports analyst and is now poised, too, to tutor a QB with star potential.

“That opportunity would be fantastic,” Mendoza gushed. “Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time, by a wide margin, and to be able to be mentored by him, it would mean so much. Especially to learn, and I’m all about learning.

“So, from Day 1, I’ve got to learn a lot. It’s going to be a long journey. And so, to potentially have a mentor like that, it would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.”

Mendoza looks the part, but Raiders must build around him

Mendoza will need plenty of support beyond Brady. Too often, teams land their franchise quarterback of the future with a high draft pick, only to fail to put the pieces around him. Ask Sam Darnold, who just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, years after the New York Jets were supposed to take off with him at quarterback.

Then again, sometimes, it goes both ways. Look at the Indianapolis Colts, open for trade offers for Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. The Colts failed the quarterback and the quarterback failed the team – with bad luck on top of that equation.

In Mendoza’s case, though, he seems built for this moment after a circuitous journey from his hometown of Miami to Cal to IU, and three years starting on the college level. He also seems well-equipped to handle the spotlight and pressure.

He knows. With his status and position, leadership is an essential component for the expectations. He can ask Brady all about that.

“I believe that with an NFL franchise, to lead it you need equity,” Mendoza said. “And you need two things to build equity. No. 1, you want to play well. That’s where all my focus goes: football, football, football. If you want to lead, you’ve first got to play well.

“And second, to have the respect of your teammates. Through work ethic, through your leadership, through your tenacity, the way that you respond to mistakes. And so those are all things I’m looking to work on.”

Sounds like a plan. Even if the Raiders don’t select him (yeah, right) with the No. 1 pick.

“I’m just trying to be the best me possible,” Mendoza said. “Whatever team drafts me, I’m grateful, whether that’s the No. 1 pick, or the 199th pick.”

We heard that choice of words. The 199th pick, in 2000, happened to be a man named Brady … suddenly connected to The Promised One.

Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

The team announced on Saturday, Feb. 28 that Santos signed a multi-year contract extension with the Warriors. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the deal is a three-year, $15 million contract extension and includes a player option in the 2028-29 season.

Santos has shown himself to be a hard-nosed role player for the Warriors with his hustle, energy and doing whatever is asked of him.

He has scored in double-figures in 11 of the last 12 games. In that span he has averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals in 28.8 minutes. He’s shooting 58.8% from the field and 43.1% from 3-point distance.

Who is Gui Santos?

Santos, 23, was selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft from Brazil. He spent time playing for the Warriors’ G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

This season he has posted career high averages in major statistical categories with 6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 16 minutes per game. Santos has shot a career-high 53.1% from the field and 39% on three-point field goals.

He has appeared in 48 games for Golden State, including 13 starts this season.

He joined the Warriors for the 2022 NBA Summer League, and he later joined their NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Santos was named to the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.

In four seasons with the Warriors, Santos has averaged 4.9 points, three rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13.6 minutes.

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